July diaries, reflections on Japan during the Hydrangea season

Two little eyes in the dark, and an expired film from Yakushima last year.

I did not manage to write on Substack this year so far because I have been in a tunnel of relentless work (with my real job - haha - video editing). I have also been enjoying the slow things of life. Going to the cinema with friends in the winter, cooking a nice meal, getting completely obsessed with Twin Peaks and David Lynch, visiting France twice for pleasure. For my birthday we went to see a 35mm projection of ‘In The Mood For Love’, my favourite film.
I’m also trying to finish a solo album alongside new projects for me and Aki’s duo Kodama - a couple of very nice concerts in September/October and hopefully a new release. I also got married (!!!), and it was taking quite a lot of space in my brain up until June.

It’s strange that it’s already been a year since I went to the Studio Kura residency in Japan, and I feel like I will need some time (maybe some years) to process it entirely. For now I really enjoy looking back on the work and playing some of the new songs live, it is always so comforting. I also love looking through my camera roll and almost feel that I never want to close this creative chapter. Joe and I also got engaged on Yakushima afterwards so it will remain a special place and time in my heart.

It is interesting because when I went to Japan, unless they were my friends, I found that mostly older people would chat to me and not so much young people. This being said I would often go to rural places where I can sort of hide from the crowds and not disturb anybody. In places like Tokyo or Kyoto no one would speak to me and I don’t blame them, everybody seems tired with their own life and work, and so done with tourists everywhere.
I am feeling critical regarding tourists but I guess I am one myself. What I am trying to avoid is this kind experience/tourist behaviour in Kyoto : I was walking around and entered a small antique shop, full of precious ceramics and little objects. I was tiptoeing around, conscious of the fragile nature of the treasures around me. Other tourists arrive and started talking really loudly, taking a lot of space in the shop. One person carelessly lifted a little cup, and dropped it on the floor, the delicate thing was smashed into pieces. The shop staff looked horrified but didn’t say anything, beyond polite. I quickly left.

It almost made me feel ashamed for being a white tourist and I wish people were more mindful while in a country where the culture is so different. The relationship to silence, personal space and loud talking is not the same in Japan. At least that’s my feeling.

Having only had obaasan or older couples speak to me in places like Itoshima and Kamikochi, it’s so refreshing to be able to read the thoughts from Hana over at Nostalgia Japonica - Real Japanese Aesthetics , it’s like finally having a really interesting conversation with a younger Japanese person from Gen Z (I’m a millennial born in 1990 so maybe we are 10 years or more apart).

I find it so fascinating that it connects the dots of different events in smaller subcultures and put them into a wider historical context. For example, I have heard or read about the bubble era, about the 2011 earthquake, and about the 2008 financial crisis, but never put these events in relation to the reality of younger people in the present.

I hear from some people that it is hard to make friends in Japan when you are not native. However, I feel that I have made genuine friendships and connections over there, and I miss everyone.
Of course, I have met people who speak good english and most of the time we have some niche interests in common. Maybe I was just lucky. I found that instagram was a real blessing for connecting with people before and during my trips over interesting subjects. Analogue photography, mountains (sometimes both at the same time!), ambient music, synthesisers, koto..
I miss Fumi, Asuka, Ash, and everyone else.
Arriving in Japan with so much love for the culture - it made me feel rewarded to make friends or connections there. I think overall it’s just good to stay open and happy, and the right people will appear.

There is one friendship story that is particularly heartwarming -
We were staying in this little mountain hut in Kamikochi - beautiful national park in the Nagano area. The hut was so small, there was only a few rooms and a strict schedule for bathing and eating - and getting up at 6 for breakfast!
There were a few tables to share and we were eating dinner next to this elderly couple. We were probably looking at each other smiling because we were so happy to be in such a breathtaking place, hiking and walking amongst pure beauty. The lady, Keiko, spoke english and started chatting to us in the cutest way. Saying that we were doing very well with the chopsticks (she looked impressed!), and that we should eat everything from the grilled fish, even the head (not sure what we did in the end). We chatted some more about the hikes they’d been doing in the area, where they live, and what they like so much about the mountains. We ended up drinking (moderately) some tiny cups of sake in front the fire in the next room, showing each other photos of home, families, projects, holidays. We exchanged contact and promised to visit them next time. And we did - the following year we visited the Tohoku region and met them for a weekend! We were totally spoiled with staying in their little chalet, going to the local onsen, enjoying a picturesque walk alongside the Oirase gorge and eating an insanely delicious home cooked nabe. We were like little kids driven around by their adoptive Japanese parents. Keiko’s husband, Eiichi, doesn’t speak a lot of english but he played us some amazing records and we connected with the simple love of gardening, music, and walking in nature. We still keep in touch and they gave us some great tips for Yakushima (it’s good to go in the rainy season, because that’s when the plants and mosses are the most beautiful!).

I miss Japan terribly at the moment. I would like to go often but I am also conscious of the environmental impact. I’m wondering what will happen to my connection with the culture and country if I don’t go for a while - if it will fade or become stronger.

Take care and spend some time in nature wherever you are,
and let me know your thoughts if you have any.

Clémentine x